Tens of Millions of Older Adults Want to Go to College

Over a quarter of U.S. adults between the ages of 25 and 64—representing 41.7 million people—intend to enroll in some type of higher education program or training within the next two years, according to a new report from the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) and CollegeAPP, a data analytics service.

The report, released Tuesday, explores which adult learners are eager to enroll in college, why, and what obstacles they face, drawing on a survey of upward of 300,000 people fielded between 2019 and 2025.

The survey found that higher shares of Black (43 percent), Hispanic (40 percent) and female (30 percent) adults were intent on enrolling. Motivation to enroll was also higher among younger adults ages 25 to 34 (41 percent), low-income learners (35 percent), and adults with some college but no degree (33 percent). Yet some of the same groups, such as low-income students, are the most likely to face obstacles to enrollment, the report says. Most respondents, 81 percent, reported cost as a barrier; 67 percent cited time constraints.

Nearly half of adult learners (43 percent) were eager to enroll to gain skills for their current careers, while 35 percent described “learning and self-improvement” as their motivation. About a fifth expressed a desire to change careers.

The report also found that a higher share of adults showed interest in short-term, workforce-aligned programs at technical and community colleges (52 percent) than in four-year institutions (48 percent).

“The report makes it clear that intent to enroll is prevalent but also divergent,” Earl Buford, CAEL president, said in a news release. “The implications are also clear: Enrollment strategies, which traditionally consigned adult learners to a monolithic ‘nontraditional’ student category, must continue to evolve. While there have been appreciable strides in engaging learners with some college and no degree, they are by no means the only significant segment of the tens of millions with intent to enroll.”

(This story has been updated to correct the number of survey respondents.)